Wednesday, December 21, 2011

King Street Gallery on William - Last Show of the Year











One of the loveliest shows I’ve been associated with and I’m probably King Streets biggest fan. Full of colour and variety and lots to choose to stuff in your Christmas stocking and if I were rich enough I probably would have bought one from each of the artist’s or maybe two.

There were lovely gouaches from Wendy Sharpe, wonderful still life’s from John Bokor, delectable landscapes from Amanda Penrose Hart, Idris Murphy and Joanna Logue, quirky ceramics from Madelaine Hayes and Myfanwy Gullifer and gorgeous inks on paper by Elisabeth Cummings.
And three gouaches of Christmas decorations by yours truly just to keep in the spirit of things.

But there is more and lots more from all 16 Artist’s as all the works are under $1500.

Show closes Friday 23rd December and might help with that last minute gift.

Fleur MacDonald

14th December - 23rd December 2011
www.kingstreetgallery.com.au

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Gallery 9 - Robin Hungerford











A wild ride through spookyville and melted memories, I stood and watched the video’s of melting heads and loved all the colours melding into each other. This work is quite amazing, building a model head, melting it and capturing it’s demise on video. Love it!

In the front room there is two Endoscope’s, wasn’t sure whether to pick them up but was told to give them a go. They are a delight as I have always loved kaleidoscopes.

Really loved ‘Hard-Core Soft-Cell’, plastic, paper, wood, motor, fibreglass and paint. It sort of reminded me of that film ‘Event Horizon’ in a spooky kind of way, but it twinkled in the light so that made it even better.

It’s a very entertaining show with lots to look at and interact with, loved also the three pencil on paper works, ‘Animal’, ‘Vegetable’ and ‘Mineral’. Robin is clearly awake to his environment with his wild and wonderful take on life.

Fleur MacDonald

30th November - 23rd December 2011
www.gallery9.com.au

Articulate Project Space - Articulate Turns One













My first ever visit to Articulate Project Space just so happens to be their first birthday celebrations, Articulate Turns One! So I had to go.

WOW! Great space and some great Art, stepped through the door and was taken aback. ‘Logo’, moulded plastic by Sue Callanan is fantastic, love the rich colour and love the continuous use of the shapes, stands out like a sore thumb that it’s Christmas but it’s more, it has it’s own sleek ageless beauty and is one of my favourites.

Finally managed to meet yet another facebook friend, Beata Geyer, I do love her work but this was the first time that I’d seen it up close. ‘Untitled Composition #AI220I2, mdf & paint, is a silent blue stacked work, looks like an aerial view of a large structure in a flat landscape with added depth from the shadows.

Both Sue and Beata’s work is richly complemented with Kate Williams ‘Twisted Logic, really loved how I walked around the gallery and saw glimpses of other artist’s work reflected in this shiny piece. Margaret Roberts and her playful ‘evol’, found architectural space, rope & thread bought both levels of the gallery together inviting interaction from the viewer young and old.

Articulate is a vast monumental space, one in which Artist’s have room to move and room for the viewer to maneuver around the work be it on the floor, wall or hanging from the ceiling. I’ve counted 34 Artist’s on the room sheet and the space definitely does not look overcrowded. So ‘Circummambulate times 8 + weight = numinous space’, ceramic, stone, cast iron, canvas, paper and charcoal by Toni Warburton doesn’t look lonely in this space in fact it looks great, it’s a wonderful thought provoking piece, I didn’t drag the rock around the centre piece as someone suggested, I heard it happening but missed out on seeing it in action. I love how Toni’s mind works, very elegant.

Just have time for one more and this one left a smile on my face, loved how it made me want to press it’s buttons. ‘Epicorm’, studio fire materials, aluminium, sound system by Alison Clouston and Boyd. I’d play with that everyday.

Happy Birthday Articulate!

Fleur MacDonald

15th December - 24th December 2011
http://articulate497.blogspot.com

Monday, December 19, 2011

Flinders Street Gallery - Under The Willow











Haven’t been to Flinders Street in ages and wasn’t going to miss this show which was curated by Virginia Wilson who started The Willow Art Group. Wish I had gotten there earlier but had to travel from the North Shore and by the time I had arrived the gallery was packed to the rafters, it was a who’s who of the Art world and turned out to be a most enjoyable evening.

There was works by some of my favourites and works by artist’s I had not heard of before and hope to see again, it was a fantastic show, I tried to do my video on the night but became too hard basket for the amount of people there and decided to go back at a later date besides that gave me a chance to look at the work properly.

Loved it, loved all the work, glad I saw it the second time. Virginia Wilson has a fantastic curatorial eye.

Fleur MacDonald

3rd December - 17th December 2011
www.flindersstreetgallery.com

James Dorahy Project Space - Lit-up Like a Christmas Tree (Volume IV)












Thought I had more time but just like this year, time is fast running out as we are now in our last month. Well the gallery was kinda lit-up like a Christmas tree with a wonderful variety of works to tickle and tantalize and definitely something for everyone to stuff in there Christmas stockings.

Really loved ‘Glow Mesh’, oil on linen by Stephanie Monteith, it was the luscious reds and golds perfect Christmas colours. ‘Untitled 1’, burnt linen by Matt Glenn got a lengthy viewing, I stood in front of it for some time just checking it out, it had a strange power over me.

All of ‘NZ Herbs’, pencil, ink & copic marker on grid paper by Sarah Newall were a sheer delight and ‘After William Morris’ too. ‘Spring’, type c photograph by Alexander James, took me to another place, somewhere nice and a sensory delight.

A wonderful ending to 2011.

Fleur MacDonald

7th December - 17th December 2011
www.jamesdorahy.com.au

MOP Projects - Cracker














Arrived early but didn’t realize the doors weren’t going to open until dead on six. It was a bit like waiting for a major shopping centre to open for a big sale, although I’ve never done that before but I guess it’s all about the anticipation, the excitement as to what we were going to see and which work was going to grab our wallet by it’s throat.

George opened the door and we made our dash, I wanted to film it in it’s entity before the work disappeared and that was probably why I missed out on the Drew Bickford or the Alex Wisser. Those two works were the most recognizable and I’m a fan of both artist’s, but to be completely honest I just didn’t have a spare $50 and wish I had. I would have been equally happy with an Adam Norton or a Paul Ferman, a Sarah Nolan or maybe a Lorna Grear and my list goes on.

It was a truly wonderful gathering of small works by some truly wonderful artist’s and an even greater thrill just to hang on the MOP walls.

Fleur MacDonald

Sunday 18th December 2011
One Night Only
www.mop.org.au